Removing the concept of dependency from measuring population ageing

The ‘old-age dependency ratio’ (OADR) is the most used measure of population aging. Many studies have demonstrated how the OADR misrepresents the scale of population ageing. In response, a variety of alternative measures have been proposed which more specifically define the ‘dependent’ population based on characteristics such as health, disability, labour force participation, or other measures of human capital. However, while still relying on the paradigm of ‘dependency’ these measures deny the agency of various population groups, continue to perpetuate the ‘demographic change as problem’ narrative (especially regarding the ‘burden’ of ageing) and, more broadly, reinforce existing dominant social relations. While very specific, context-dependent definitions of dependency can be useful, the addition of the concept of dependency to relative measures of demographic change, especially concerning ageing, does more harm than good. Drawing on two decades of debate in this journal, I argue that the case is clearest in Asia, where the institutional assumptions embedded in the OADR fit least well and where the policy consequences of misrepresenting ageing are greatest.